Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry entered Saturday’s SEC Championship Game against the Florida Gators as the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy and may have cemented his case after surpassing a conference icon and previous Heisman winner in the record books.
Henry broke the SEC record for the most rushing yards in a single season, which had previously been set at 1,891 yards by legendary Georgia Bulldogs running back Herschel Walker in 1981, according to John Zenor of the Associated Press.
Kevin Scarbinsky of AL.com highlighted that Henry accomplished the feat with fewer carries than Walker:
Herschel in 1981: 385 carries for 1,891 yards.